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Sept. 13, 1932. H. EJALTHENS 1,876,533

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept. 27. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet l lnvenTor.

Herberf E.A\Thens byMMkM ATTys.

p 1932- H. E ALTHENS 1,876,538

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 27, 1928 lnvenTor. HeTberT E.A|Thc,ns.

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ATTys.

Sept. 13, 1932. H; E. ALTHENS 1,876,538

BUTTONHOLE SEWING MACHINE Filed Sept 27. 1928 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lnvenTor.

Herberr EAlThens WM Afiys.

Patented Sept. 13, 1932 ST TE- P AT E"r rin- HERBERT n. ALTHENS, or AUBUBNDALE,MASSACHUSETTS, AssreNon TO inn REECE BUTroi-I HOLE MACHINE coMrANY, or BOSTON,,MASSACHTJSETTS, A CORPORATION or MAINE U teammate SEWI1\TG MACHINE This invention relates to two-thread buttonhole sewing machines of the type having means for cutting the thread at the end of the sewing operation, and has for its general ob ject to provide novel means for drawing off a length of upper thread from the source of supply and cutting said thread beneath the work at the end of the sewing operation, and for releasing the-tension on'the under thread and drawing o'fi a length-thereof prior tothe thread cutting operation at the end of the seam. e

In order to give an understanding of the invention I have illustrated it as it might be embodied in a sewing machine of the type shown in co-pendi'ng application of Axel F. Carlson, Serial No. 162,890, filed January 22nd, 1927 although I wish to state that various features of "the invention are not necessarily limited in their "application to the par ticular machine shown in'saidCarlson application.

In the drawings, Fig.1 is "a side'vie-W'of a buttonhole sewing machine embodying my invention 2 is a section on the line 2- 2, Fig. 1 showing the means for operating the upper thread pull-olfg Fig. 3 is a plan view 'of a portion of the bed of the sewing machine with the clamp plates removed and illustrating the cutters for the upper and under thread;

Fig. 4 is a View similar to Fig. 3 but show.

ing the position of the parts when the upper thread is being cut;

Fig. '5 is a fragmentary perspective view illustrating the operation of the upper thread pull-off and the upper thread cutter; 1

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary's'ectional view illustrating the turret carrying the under thread manipulating devices and the'under thread tension;

Fig. 7 is a section on :the line 7'7, Fig. 8';

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary view of the turret illustrating the under thread tension-releasing mechanism;

Fig. 9 is a View similar toFig. 7 but illustrating the manner in which the under thread ension is released.

Fig. 10 1s a sect1on on the'line 10-10, Fig. 8-.

.As stated above I have herein illustrated myinvention as it mightbeapplied to a buttonhole sewing machine having the constructionillustratedin the Carlson application for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 162,890, filed J anuary'22nd, 1927.

This machine comprises stitch-forming mechanism which is mounted on a head-or frame 1 that is movablebodily back and forth on a bed frame 2. The bed frame 2 carries work-holding means in the form of work clamps 3 by which the work isclamped in position. The usual buttonhole cutter' lis carried bythe frame 1. The stitch-formi-ng mechanism comprises the usual upper needle. 5 by which the upper thread 6 is manipulated and under thread handling mechanism comprising loopers 7, 8 and looper Spreaders 9 that are carried by a turret 10 which is rotatably mounted in bearings 11 formed on the portion 12 of the frame 1. The turret also carries the usualthroat plate l3- having the sewing opening 1 1 through which the under thread passes to the work.

When the machine is at rest the parts are in the relative position shown in Fig. 1, that is, the work is retained in buttonhole-cutting position by the work clamps 3. When the machine is started in operation the frame '1 movesto the left Fig. 1 thus carrying the parts relatively into stitching position and then the stitch-forming mechanism is operated to form the stitches along one side of the button hole and then backalong the other side and during the sewing the frame 1 is given a feeding movement, first to the left and then to the right Fig. 1. When the sewing on the buttonhole has been completed the stitch-forming mechanism is brought to rest andthe frame 1 is given a further movement'to the right to bring the parts relatively into buttonhole-cutting position as shown in Fig. 1.

. The parts are so arranged that at the completion of the stitching the stitch-forming mechanism is brought to rest with the needle 5 raised and with a loop 15 of needle thread about the looper mechanism as indicated in Fig. 5.

During the final movement of the frame 1 to the right by which the parts are carried has been completed the nose 27 of the lever relatively from stitching to buttonhole-cutting position the forward movement of the frame 1 and the stitch-forming mechanism relative to the work to will pull off a length I of under thread 16 and also elongate the loop 15 between the throat plate 13 and the Work so that the portions 17 of the upper thread and under thread will extend from the throat plate to the work.

One of the features of my presentinvention relates to novel means for pulling off a length of upper thread 6 from the source of supply and then cutting one leg of the loop 15 of upper thread during this additional movement by which the parts are carried relatively from stitching to buttonhole cutting position. The upper thread pull-off is shown in the form of an arm 18 pivoted to the frame 1 at 19 and carrying at its lower end a pull-off hook 20 which is shaped to engage the upper thread 6 between the needle and the work when the pull-off arm 18 swings from the full to the dotted line position Fig. 1. During the sewing on the buttonhole the pull-01f arm is in the full line position with the upper end 21 thereof resting against a positioning stop 22.

During the movement of the frame 1 from stitching to buttonhole-cutting position and after the stitch-forming mechanism has come to rest said arm 18 is swung into the dotted line position Fig. 1 thereby pulling off a length of upper thread as shown by dotted lines Fig. 1 and by full lines Fig. 5. This pull-off arm is connected by a link 23 to an actuating lever 24 pivoted at 25 to the frame 1, said lever being acted upon by a return spring 26 which normally holds the parts in their full line position.

The actuating lever 24 extends below the pivot 25 and is provided with a nose 27 which co-operates with a dog 28 carried by the bed frame 2 to give the actuating lever its operating movement. This dog ispivoted to the bed frame at 29 and is acted on by a pulling spring 30 which normally holds it against a stop 31. The dog thus can swing to the left Fig. 2 against the action of the spring 30 but the stop 31 limits its movement to the right.

When the machine is at rest and before it is started in operation the parts are so positioned that the nose 27 of the lever 24 is at the right of the dog 28 as shown in the drawings and when the machine is set in operation and the frame 1 moves to the left the nose. 27 of the lever 24 will simply wipe by the dog 28, the latter giving or yielding as shown by dotted lines Fig. 2. lVhen the nose 27 has passed by the dog 28 during the movement of the frame 1 to the left Fig. 1 the dog will be returned to its normal position against the stop 31 by the spring 30. I

By the time the stitching on the buttonhole 24 will have moved into the position to engage the dog 28, and during the further movement of said frame 1 by which the parts are carried from stitching to buttonholel 9 cutting position said nose will engage the dog 28 which is held from movement by the stop 31 with the result that the upper end of the lever 24 will be swung to the ri ht Fig. 1 thereby giving the pull-oft 18 its operative movement.

The invention also includes novel' means for cutting one leg of the loop 15 of upper thread after the latter is pulled off. The

cutter by which the upper thread is cut is 89 indicated at 32 and it is in the form of a cutting blade which has a cutting edge 51 and is operated at the proper time to engage the leg 52 of the loop 15 which leads to the work.

The machine herein shown, and also that illustrated in the co-pending Carlson application Serial No. 162,890 is provided with two co-operating pull-down arms 34, 35 which are adapted to engage the length 1'? of threads that lie underneath the work and pull the same down away from the work, and is also provided with two cutting elements 36, 37 which become operative after the thread 17 has been pulled down into the dotted line 95 position Fig. 5 thereby to cut the threads close to the work.

These pull-down arms 34, 35 are mounted on shafts 38, 39 that are carried in bearings on arms 40, 41, the arms being pivotally mounted to the bed frame at 42. These arms are provided with slots 44, 48 in which operates a pin 45 carried by a lever 46, the latter being rigid with a vertical stud 47 carried in the frame.

The turret 10 has rigid therewith an ex tension 64 having a cam groove 48 and the stud 47 has an arm 49 rigid therewith provided with a pin or follower 50 that is adapted to enter the groove 48 and pass therethrough during the movement of the frame 1 from stitching to buttonhole-cutting position. Although the cam 48 is carried by the turret yet it is so mounted thereon that at the end of the sewing operation it will be located in the position shown in Figs. 3 and 4 so that during the movement of the frame 1 from stitching to buttonhole-cutting position and before the turret is given its reverse rotative movement the follower 50 will pass into the open end of said cam groove and will pass therethrough. As the frame 1 moves to the right in Fig. 1 after the buttonhole has been completed to move the parts from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig. 4 the groove 48 will swing the arm 46 into the position shown in Fig. 4 and through the operation of the pin 45 in the inclined grooves 43, 44 will swing the arms 40 and 41 toward each other thereby causing narrates the pull-down arms 34, to engage the length 17 of thread and pull it down away from the work as shown in dotted lines in .Fig. 5 and as described in the above-mentioned co-pending Carlson application.

The cutter 32 for; cutting the loop 15 .of upper thread is carried by the arm and is. so shaped and constructed that, whenthe arms 40 and 41 swing toward each other to cause the pull-down arms 34, 35 to engage the length 17 of thread, the cutting edge 51 of said cutter will be brought against the leg 52 of the loop 15 and will thereby sever said leg, this being the one leading to the last stitch. The other leg 33 of the loop 15 extends through the sewing opening 14 and through the work and from thence passes to the needle 5.

It will be remembered, however, that just prior to the operation of thecutter 32, the pull-oif 20 has been actuated to pull oif a length of upper thread so that when the upper thread has been out there will be a length of thread extending from the needle comprising that which was pulled 013 by the pull-off 20 as well as that comprising the leg 33 of the loop 15. This is a suflicient length of thread to enable the first stitch to be properly formed on the next sewing operation and the provision of this'length of thread obviates the necessity of the operator pulling off any thread from the needle.

The invention further includes novel means for releasing the tension on the under thread 16 and pulling off a length thereof, these operations being performed while the parts are moving fromstitching to buttonhole-cutt-ing position at the end of the buttonhole.

The under thread 16 is led to the turret through a guide tube 53 and from the upper end of said tube it passes to the tension de vice 54 which comprises the usual tension disks 55, 56 that are yieldingly pressed together by means of the spring 57. From the tension device the under thread passes to a thread-guiding eye 58 carried on the end of a resilient arm 59 and thence to an eye 60 in a thread pull-ofl member 61 and from the latter it extends to the thread-carrying loop? er 8. The under thread pull-off arm '61 is rigid with a swinging member 62 which is pivoted at 63 to the extension .64 carrying the cam groove 48. This swinging member has the laterally-extending portion 65 from which rises the pull-off arm 61. The pull-off arm 61 is normally in the position shown in. Fig. 7, in which position the extension 65 rests against the face 66 of one arm of the turret 10.

The swinging member 62 is provided with a cam surface 67 and said member is so shaped that when the parts are in the normal position shown in Fig. 7 the cam face 67 extends par.- tially across the cam groove 48 and is thus in position to be engaged by the follower 50 when the latter passes through the groove. During the movement of the parts from the position shown in Fig. 3 to that shown in Fig.

4 the follower 50 will enter the groove 48 and engage the cam face 67 and will thus swing the member 62 from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 9 with the result that the arm 65 is swung to the left thus carrying the pull-off arm 61 to the left. This operation results in pulling off a length of under thread 16.

Simultaneously with this operation the tension 54 is released on the under thread so that the pull-oft operation of the pull-off arm 61 will result in drawing a. length of thread from the source of supply. The ten sion on the under thread isreleased by separating the tension disks 55, 56 and this is done through the medium of a pin 68 which is slidable transversely in the turret and by this sliding movement forces the disk 56 away from the disk 55 against the action of the spring 57 all as usual in devices of this char acter and as illustrated in co-pending application Serial No. 269,985. This push pin 68 is actuated through the medium of the swinging member 62.

Pivotally mounted on the turret at 69 is an angular-shaped member 70 which is pro-. vided with one arm 71 that is adapted to be engaged'by the swinging member 62 and is provided with another arm 72 having a cam face 74 which co-operates with the push pin 68. The member 70 is acted on by a pulling spring 73 which tends normally to hold it in the position shown in Fig. 8. As the member 62 is swung from the position shown in Fig. 7 to that shown in Fig. 9 it engages the arm 71 of the member 70 and swings the latter into the dotted line position Fig. 8. Dur ing this movement of the member 70 from the full to the dotted line position 8 the cam face 74 engages the pin 68 and moves the latter in the direction of its length thereby releasing the tension on the under thread. This occurs just as the under thread is being pulled off by the pull-off arm 61 so that when said under thread is pulled off there will be no tension thereon and the thread can be freely withdrawn from its source of supply.

I claim. g

'1. In a two-thread buttonhole sewing machine of the type having a bed to which the work is clamped and a frame movable on the bed and carrying stitch-forming mechanism including a needle for the upper thread, which frame has a movement after the buttonh ole is completed to carry the parts from stitching to buttonhole-cutting position, the combination with said bed and frame, of an upper thread pull-off device pivoted to the frame and swingable relative thereto in the direction of movement thereof and adapted during such swinging movement to act on the upper thread between the needle and the work, and means actuated by the movement of the frame which carries the parts into buttonhole-cutting position to actuate said pull off.

2. In a two-thread buttonhole sewing machine of the type having a bed to which the work is clamped and a frame movable on the bed and carrying stitch-forming mechanism including a needle for the upper thread which frame has a movement after the bnt-- tonhole is completed to carry the parts from stitching to buttonhole-cutting position, the combination with said bed and frame, of means to cut the upper thread beneath the work at the end of the sewing operation, an upper thread pull-off device pivoted to the frame and swingable relative thereto in the direction of movement thereof and adapted during such swinging movement to act on the upper thread between the needle and the work, and means actuated by the movement of the frame which carries the parts into buttonhole-cutting position to actuate said pull-off.

3. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism comprising upper and under thread mechanism arranged so that when the machine comes to rest a loop of upper thread is engaged by the under thread mechanism, said work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism having a relative movement after the completion of the sewing by which a length of thread is drawn out, a thread pull-off device to engage said length of thread and separate it from the worl' and means actuated by the pull-off device to cut the loop of upper thread...

4;. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism comprising upper and under thread mechanism arranged so that when the machine comes to rest a loop of upper thread is engaged by the under thread mechanism, said work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism having a relative movement after the completion of the sewing by which a length of thread is drawn out, a thread pull-off device actuated by said relative movement to engage said length of thread and separate it from the work, and means actuated by the pull-otl' device to cut the loop of upper thread.

5. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism comprising upper and under thread mechanism arranged so that when the machine comes to rest a loop ofupper thread is engaged by the under thread mechanism, said work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism having a relative movement after the completion of the sewing by which a length of thread is drawn out, a pair of swinging arms carrying thread pull-off devices arranged to engage said length of thread and separate it from the work, and a thread cutter carried by one of said arms and adapted to out said loop of upper thread. 1

6. In a buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism comprising upper and under thread mechanism arranged so that when the machine comes to rest a loop of upper thread is engaged by the under thread mechanism, sai d work-holding means and stitch-forming mechanism having a relative movement after the completion of the sewing by which a length of thread is drawn out, a pair of swinging arms carrying thread pull-01f devices, means actuated by the relative movement of the stitch-forming mecha nism and work-holding means to actuate said arms to cause the pull-off devices to separate the l ngth of thread from the work, and a thread cutter carried by one of said a ms for cutting the loop of upper thread.

7. A two-thread buttonhole sewing machine having work-holding means and stitch forming mechanism movable relative to each other after the sewing on the buttonhole has been completed, whereby a length of thread s pulled off, a turret carrying under a thread mechanism, a resilient arm carried by the turret and engaging the under thread, a cam track on the turret, a pivotally-mounted lever having a follower engaging said cam track during such relative movement between the stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means, means actuated by the lever to engage said length of thread and separate it from the work, means to cut said thread close to the work, and an under thread pull-off acting on the under thread between the resilient arm and the Work and actuated by said follower as it is being actuated by the cam track.

8. A two-thread buttonhole sewing machine having work-holding means and stitchforming mechanism movable relative to each other after the sewing on the buttonhole has been completed, whereby a length of thread is pulled off, a turret carrying under thread mechanism, a cam track on the turret, a pivotally-mounted lever having a follower engaging said cam track during such relative movement between the stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means, means actuated by the lever to engage said length of thread and separate it from the work, means to out said thread close to the work, an under thread pull-off actuated by said follower as it is being actuated by the cam track, a ten-- sion for the under thread, and means operated by the under thread pull-off to release the tension.

9. A two-thread buttonhole sewing machine having stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means arranged to move relative to each other after the sewing on the button-hole has been completed, said stitch-forming mechanism including a turret carrying under thread mechanism, an under thread tension on said turret, a resilient arm on the turret engaging the under thread between the tension and the work, an under thread pulloit on said turret acting on the under thread between said arm and the work, a cammember carried by the turret, and means to engage said cam member during said relative movement of the stitch-forming mechanism and work-holding means thereby to actuate the pull-off.

10. In a two-thread buttonhole sewing machine, the combination with work-holding means, of stitch-forming mechanism comprising a needle operating from above the work and looper mechanism operating beneath the work, said work-holding means and stitchforming mechanism being movable relative to each other after the completion of the sewing on the buttonhole, a turret carrying the looper mechanism and which is given a reverse rotation between the completion of the sewing on one buttonhole and the start of the sewing on the next buttonhole, an under thread tension on the turret, a resilient arm carried by the turret and acting on the under thread between the thread tension and the looper mechanism, an under thread pull-oil also mounted on the turret and acting on the under thread between said resilient arm and the looper mechanism, means actuated by said relative movement between the stitchforming mechanism and work-holding means to operate said pull-off before the turret has its reverse rotative movement, and means actuated by the thread pulling-oil movement or" the pull-ofi to release the tension on the under thread.

In testimony whereof, I have signed by name to this specification. V

HERBERT E. ALTHENS. 

